UP CLOSE & PERSONAL: COURTNEY MITCHELL

5 April 2018

1. What made you get into poetry?

It’s kind of ironic the thing I loathed
became my passion and love. I cannot see my life at this present moment without
poetry. Whether I am writing, or reading poems from other poets it’s one of the
things that keep me going in life. I went through a really hectic break up,
that involved abuse and somehow after months of trying to deal with so much
pain I was internalizing, poetry was my way of escape to express and articulate
all I was feeling inwardly. This may sound cliché but poetry is very healing
and therapeutic. And the rest is history from there my poetic journey began.

2.Is it hard to come up with
expressions (words)? Or does it just flow with you?

It depends on the mood, my heads space and
what I’m feeling emotionally at that moment. The specific topic I am writing about, if
someone or something is really close to my heart it’s going to be easy but if
it’s something I have no interest in its hard because one can’t fake what you
feel. Sometimes that’s also a good challenge to go to a place that you maybe never
thought about or write about things you would not generally write about.

3. Where do you get your
inspiration from?

Life, it never fazed me what was happening
in the world, in my community and in my life. I’d say I was numb to a lot of
realities. It somehow takes a life changing situation to take you out of your
comfort zones. The pain people experience inspires me, because in writing I’m
able to vocalise what they feel and the same with our victories. When we
overcome we always wanting to shout from the roof tops and poetry allows one to
express this sort of joy as well. Music is my all-time go to thing, jazz or
afro soul is the genre of music that definitely also unlocks words and chords
within me to create beautiful words and melodies.

4.You’re also a makeup and
designing student. How did that become a part of your life’s interest?

After I finished high school I went to
study make up artistry, it was always something I loved doing.Dressing up and making myself look cute was
my life goal as a teenager lol. As for the fashion part, I don’t consider
myself fashionable but so many people say they love my style and the way I put
my ensembles together. I had a mentor and this person challenged me to pursue
fashion studies and also to dress the way I wanted, no limits, no boundaries
just do me and express myself through fashion.

5.You went through some
hardships. Mind telling us about it?

As I mentioned above I was in an abusive
relationship. I was so blindly in love that I didn’t realise I was losing
myself and giving over to the demands of someone that never really loved me. I
was extremely naïve I guess because I was still young and the person I was
dating was older. From that experience though, the thing that was supposed to
kill me saved my life. I now know who I am and how I need to love myself and
others. It also made me so much more aware of the pain women and men go through
who find themselves in abusive relationships. Whether it be physical, verbal or
emotional abuse, it is toxic and it is not okay.

6.What advice would you give to someone
currently in that situation, trying to get out and for those, like yourself,
who have survived it on how to move on and be positive from there onward?

There are so many articles about seeing the
signs of an abuser but guess what people think its cliché, and you somehow realise
when it’s too late. If someone wants to control your whereabouts, the job you
have, your friends, the clothes you wear, your dreams and aspirations get out
and run and never look back. Abuse is the same as drug addiction if the person
does not admit it themselves every time they hurt you and say sorry it’s never
going to stop, the day they stop will be day you are dead and they will be
standing over your dead corpse saying they’re sorry. I have absolutely no chill
for people that want to instil such fear in others. You are staying because you
don’t know how to love yourself so you stay for the carbon copy of love. You
will never know the definition of love if you always wanting to be loved by
someone else, real love starts with yourself. Love all of you and especially
the ugly parts because that’s usually the things that an abuser notices

The “curse” has become my blessing; I have
accepted my past and made peace with it being a part of my journey and life
story. I surround myself with people that love me for me as well. Sometimes
what we go through is meant to save the life of someone else, I now invest my
time in writing poetry for others as well and inspire hope in their lives with
my words.

What’s next for Courtney Mitchell?

I’m going to take the world by storm it’s
written in my DNA. I aspire to break down stereotypes, and misconceptions of
Africa and its entirety. A desire that’s very dear to my heart is bringing the
Khoisan back into society, a group of people that’s still very marginalised to
this day because people are ignorant to the real history. Poetry and fashion is
both a powerful tool and through this I will impact my generation. I will
rewrite history with new poems and create fashion pieces that will be worn for
years to come.